


Zootopia: Winds of Change

by BoggedBazzie



Series: Wacky Wildeverse [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Guns, Semi-Halal, bruh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28454472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoggedBazzie/pseuds/BoggedBazzie
Summary: Months after the Bellwether conspiracy, Zootopia is sailing on uncertain tides. The winds of change has reached the Zootopia Police Department, with the appearance of their first fox and rabbit officers. With a chaotic political environment and a discontent populace, Judy and Nick have to face enemies, both external and internal.After all, in the pursuit of justice, no cost is too great and no treachery too small, no?This fic is written as a part of a collaborative work between me and TeiOuja called Wildeverse. Check out Tei's story, an audio drama set in 1950s Zootopia, in his channel! The channel is called "Wilde Times - An Unofficial Audio Drama" and the audio drama itself is called, you guessed it, Wilde Times.
Series: Wacky Wildeverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084163
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Introduction: The Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, before you read this; Yes, i deleted More Than A Lad, sorry. I looked back at the story and was a bit disappointed at how some things came out. And i realized when i saw what i planned, the overall story makes more sense when it's from Nick and Judy's side of events. So yeah, this things is just MTAL from a different perspective. Kinda. As for new readers, don't worry. You don't have to read a deleted fic to enjoy this fic. This fanfiction is mostly serious, but has wacky and sci-fi characteristics. So expect to see some weird stuff later on.

Zootopia did the impossible. A proud little red dot on the map, yet home to millions of proud mammals. A seemingly magical city state where anyone can be anything, a mammalian utopia where one mammal stands shoulder to shoulder with his brothers and sisters, marching for a common goal. That is the Zootopian dream. The dream of her people, living in their fortress of liberty.

And the dream of one Judy Hopps and one Nick Wilde. They too, have done the impossible. Against all odds, they carry the banner of law and order. As proud officers of the law, it is their duty to protect and serve the humble people of Zootopia. With this in mind, they march into the uncertain future, successfully cementing themselves as Zootopia's best officers.

Or die trying.

**Hail Zootopia, happy land!**

* * *

_National Museum of Criminology and Penology, Rainforest District_   
_01:08_

A young deer buck wearing a blue security uniform walked hastily inside the dark and silent halls, his hooves thudding loudly on the cold ground. The muffled sound of rain reverberated through the entire building, the result of the district’s artificial monsoon. The deer was holding a toolbox in his left arm, and a flashlight in his other one. The flashlight’s gleam shone the way for him to move across the dark building. The joys of having no night vision…

“Kid, you know what you’re supposed to do right?” A deep male voice resonated from a walkie talkie in the deer’s pocket.

“Yes, fix the blacked out cameras. No need to repeat that.” The deer grumbled, leaning his head down to talk to the walkie talkie. “Also, my name’s Barnes, not ‘kid’.”

“Haha, maybe you can first show me you’re the right mammal for the job, kid!” The voice said.

Barnes grumbled again. He’s only been here for his second night, and he already hated his job. At least the museum displays didn’t come to life and maim him or something like that. Yet. Hopefully, they’d pay him well.

As he made his way down the hall past various displays, Barnes focused on an issue. How the hell did all the cameras suddenly blackout? Meh, probably just poor maintenance. The damn things haven’t been replaced since the 80s. He’d fix it. To the maintenance room.

Barnes turned his head around briefly, before looking back.

There’s this nauseous feeling brewing inside his gut. He felt that something evil was watching his every step, stalking him… He’s got a bad feeling about this.

A prey would never doubt his gut instinct.

Looking to surprise this stalker, Barnes suddenly turned around and frantically moved his flashlight around, bathing various objects before him in light.

There’s no one following him.

However, this anxious feeling still lingered. Barnes carefully backed away, eyes still locked to whatever detail seemed off…

...Only for his back to bump into something hard.

Barnes quickly turned around before screaming and falling to the floor as he saw it, the tool box dropped into the floor messily.

Before him, separated only with a glass pane, was some kind of canine beast. This canine was in a lunging position, his jaw wide open and exposing his sharp teeth. His eyes somehow glowed green. The beast was wearing old dirty white rags, which seemed withered and disheveled.

Before the “beast” could actually do anything, Barnes breathed in relief.

It’s only a museum display.

Barnes stood back up, before reading the display.

_“The Mysterious Thuggee: The remains of a dhole thuggee was captured in 1961 around bizarre circumstances. His eyes have been replaced with gemstones, and the authorities have a hard time identifying this individual. Autopsy hasn’t revealed much about his death, and nobody claimed this body. Arrested thuggees who managed to recognize him only said that his name was Sanjay and he was an illegal immigrant from Yakistan, proving that he’s as mysterious to the thuggees themselves as he is to us. Since nobody claimed him, his remains were mummified and then displayed._

Huh, interesting. Barnes looked up, staring at the eyes of the mummified display. Indeed, his eyes were actually green gemstones, perhaps emerald. The well polished and clean cut gemstones seemed to glow in the dark, giving it a mysterious allure. For some reason, the more Barnes looked at the eyes, the more difficult it was for him to look away. The beauty of the eyes was powerful, as if it was locking him in a trance...

“Barnes? Are you there?” The walkie talkie buzzed to live suddenly. Startling Barnes and shaking him out of whatever that was.

“Yes sir! Just got scared by a display. That’s all.” Barnes responded, ignoring his senior’s usage of his real name. God, this was embarrassing…

“I’d suggest you hurry up.” The voice from the walkie talkie said.

Barnes didn’t reply as he looked at the floor at the mess. Tools of various kinds were sprawled at the ground after he dropped his toolbox.

Damn, this would be a long night. All that he needed was coffee, and a load of tobacco…

“Wanna fag, mate?” A female voice asked, as a black gloved paw emerged from the dark and offered him a box of Mawlboro.

“Yes, thanks!” Barnes quickly took the box with enthusiasm. As he held the box, he paused.

Hold up…

**BONK!**

Before Barnes could process anything, a powerful blunt force struck him in the head, knocking him unconscious. The now unconscious Barnes dropped to the floor, the thud echoing through the hall.

“Barnes? Hello?” The senior security guard called, his voice resonating from the walkie talkie. The black gloved paw grabbed the walkie talkie before crushing it in her grip. She dropped the now dysfunctional device to the floor.

The figure, a short and stocky mammal, was wearing an oversized and baggy green raincoat which obscured her figure. Her paws are fitted with black rubber gloves with exposed claws. The raincoat was wet with rainwater, which slowly dripped into the ground.

The figure smiled beneath the hood of the raincoat, observing her work. She looked around briefly, before walking to the mess she made. She took her cigarette pack back and truffled through Barnes’s unconscious form. From his gear, she snatched something that she wanted.

An employee keycard. Nice.

Not wasting any chances, the figure shot a glance towards the dropped toolbox. For good measure, she grabbed a hammer. She also grabbed Barnes’ wallet, taking a look inside.

Only to see a pathetic amount of money.

Poor lad. She stuffed the money back into the wallet, before returning it to the owner’s trouser pocket. She stuffed the keycard and hammer into her pockets.

The figure stood up, then quietly made her way. The figure’s steps were accompanied with the pitter patter sound of her claws hitting the ground. She walked fairly quickly, but made an effort to minimize her noise and tracks.

After a few minutes of navigating around the figure smiled as she saw it. A pair of doors sat in front of her, a sign reading “Cryogenic Exhibition” above it. She rifled through her pocket, grabbing the keycard. She swiped the keycard into the slot next to the doors, unlocking them.

The figure slowly pushed the doors open, leaving no noise of the doors opening. Walking inside, the figure glanced left and right, seeing various displays.

She fixed her gaze at a specific display. The figure then strolled quietly, before finally reaching the display. 

The exhibition was displayed behind a large glass pane, which separated the entirety of the cryogenic exhibition hall with the specially prepared cryogenically frozen displays. Behind the glass pane, there was some kind of steel table sitting in the middle of the small exhibition.

The star of the exhibit was what looked like an ice block. A fairly large ice block, which was a frozen block of special cryogenic fluid, was displayed at the desk. However, this was no ordinary frozen block. The bodiless head of a female badger was encased within the block, the face locked in a rageful expression.

The figure looked at the exhibit’s sign, which read:

“The Frozen Head of Honey Badger Sr.”

The figure chuckled lightly as she finally reached her treasure. She then saw a door besides the exhibit, with a “Staff Only” sign. Not that it could stop her anyway. She unlocked the door with the keycard, then went inside.

Inside, she was greeted with a shelf in front of her, and a door next to that shelf, which led into the exhibit. A temperature suit was folded and neatly stacked on the shelf, with a cryo box next to it. A cryo box was a small portable box designed to carry a frozen item while keeping the item in its frozen form.

The figure grabbed the cryo box from the shelf, holding it with her right paw. She walked into the door, before unlocking it with the stolen keycard. As the slot beeped, she noticed that there’s a glowing green button near the panel. She pushed the button, which made it stop glowing. Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound from inside the exhibit. It seemed like it stopped the cryogenic functions of the exhibit. Which meant that she didn’t have much time left.

The figure opened the door with her free paw. A strong gust of freezing wind escaped from the exhibit, which made her instinctively lift her arm up to shield herself briefly. She shuddered as she walked into the display.

She couldn’t contain her excitement as the frozen block was finally an arm’s reach away. She grinned, exposing her sharp teeth. She touched the block, only to reel her arm back due to the immense cold.

Hastily, she then opened the box. Gnashing her teeth, the figure hastily crammed the block inside the box as fast as possible, trying to ignore the numb, freezing pain. 

As she locked the box, a grin still plastered on her muzzle, she began to think of an escape path.

* * *

_National Museum of Criminology and Penology, Rainforest District_   
_01:32_

An old goat wearing a security uniform hurriedly walked in the halls, holding a flashlight. He looked around with a worried expression. Multiple questions bugged his mind.

‘What happened to that kid? What’s taking him so long? What happened to his walkie talkie?’

The goat’s flashlight then shone through something. The goat’s eyes increasingly widened and his jaw opened wide as he saw the unconscious Barnes and his messy, dropped tools.

‘I’ll be damned…’


	2. A New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a fresh update for those 3 people who gave me kudos. Judy and Wolford are assigned to a case in the museum, revealing that something is deeper than they thought...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others." - Joseph Conrad

_Precinct 1, Savanna Central_  
_08:34_

“Atten-hut!”

Judy and her coworkers sat at attention. The Precinct 1 became silent as Bogo walked to the front, starting the usual morning briefing.

Bogo loudly cleared his throat. “Morning. I have some news,” Bogo scanned his audience. “As some of you might know, there’s a police graduation ceremony next week. Expect to see some new friends.”

Judy inhaled deeply. This would be fun.

“After some provisions, Wilde has been called to graduate with them next week. You’ll see him earlier than expected.” Bogo continued, an unimpressed look on his face.

Murmurs erupted through the room, talking in various reactions. Some were more receptive, some more...hesitant. Judy’s tall ears perked as she heard the word come out from Bogo’s mouth. Her attention was brought to the fact that Nick would join them much earlier than expected.

Bogo raised a hoof to the air, silencing everyone. “Now, let’s get straight to business. Hopps! Wolford! Museum break-in in the Rainforest district!” Bogo seemed unwilling to talk more about Nick. Understandable for someone like Bogo.

Judy was surprised at being tagged with Wolford, but from what she has heard, Wolford seemed like a competent officer. And this sounded like an interesting case! She's been assigned to mostly mundane cases through most of her time here.

Wasting no time, Judy and Wolford walked up to Bogo, Wolford taking the case file.

Judy and Wolford left the room as Bogo passed the files to the other officers. As Judy walked behind Wolford, Judy realized how tidy and well groomed Wolford seemed to be. The well built gray wolf’s uniform was well ironed. Judy could smell a hint of...some type of scent emanating out of Wolford. Rabbits don’t “communicate” with scents, but it gave Wolford some masculine aura.

Wolford abruptly stopped, opening the case file while standing. He opened the file, his eyes scanning the page quickly. Furrowing his eyebrows, Wolford blinked a few times then closed the file shut. Wolford suddenly turned to look at Judy, his gaze penetrating into all 9 layers of her rabbit soul.

“Break-in. Around 1 PM. Precious material stolen. Museum of Criminology and Penology. Rainforest District. Eyewitnesses available. Suspect uncertain.” Wolford coldly recapped to a shocked Judy before walking away. Wolford’s voice was deep and monotone, spoken in a particular accent Judy couldn’t recognize.

Judy was taken aback by the eccentric nature of Wolford. How could Fangmeyer cope with this lad? Judy shook herself back to reality, jogging to catch up with Wolford.

Even though Judy slightly jogged, it still felt like Wolford was still faster than her. Judy slowed down her pace. How foolish of her! She’s not supposed to run around inside. Judy turned around, looking if someone saw her run or not. Thankfully, no one’s around.

Judy turned back, only to see that Wolford was gone. Only a door swinging shut indicating his former presence.

Well, damn it. Judy ran forward, emerging past the door. Looking around the parking lot, Judy’s purple eyes caught a glimpse of Wolford opening the door of a police cruiser. 

How could he even go that fast? Wasting no time, Judy quickly made her way to the cruiser, before taking a seat inside. Closing the car door shut, Judy adjusted her seat belt.

As Wolford ignited the engine and started to drive away from the lot, Judy decided to know a bit more about her new partner. So far, she rarely talked with Wolford. Judy considered herself to be a nice gal to talk with, but there seemed to be a cold and intimidating aura seeping from him that made it a bit hard for her to talk to him. When Nick first saw him, he told Judy that Wolford had ‘big NPC energy’ and that Wolford reminded him of an ‘NPC from an Elder Snarls game’.

Judy looked at Wolford, still focusing on the busy road. Wolford’s eyes seemed...neutral. There was no great fire of bottled up content, nor any joyful optimism. That’s it. Just cold, seemingly calculating eyes with an oddly childlike hint. Despite this, his stare managed to shook her up to the core. 

Judy thought he was like a robot. Judy remembered how Wolford didn’t complain one word when he went undercover as a sheep, while Snarlov -the “tough guy”- was barely able to keep it together. Fangmeyer and Clawhauser once told her that Wolford has a docile side, if ‘certain conditions were met’. Whatever that means.

Judy leaned forward, squinting her eyes. The nametag on Wolford’s chest read ‘Walther G. Wolford’. The rank insignia on his uniform indicated that he was a sergeant.

“Wolford,” Judy decided to call him by his surname. He may be uncomfortable with her calling him by his first name. "Mind telling me more about yourself? You never introduced yourself to me."

"My honor is loyalty. A wolf's honor is dictated by his loyalty to his master, ideals, and his ferocity towards those who dare to oppose him and anything he stands for. 14 years of service in the ZPD, and those who crossed me have never crossed me again.... I enjoy frappe and vaporwave if you're into that."

"...Alright, cool!" A great start to a conversation, Judy. "You told me that the suspects are 'uncertain', what do you exactly mean by that?"

“The local precinct came up with two suspects. Which only makes sense if you know what was stolen.”

“Well, what did the thief steal?”

“The ‘Frozen Head of Honey Badger Sr.’ apparently.”

Judy raised an eyebrow. Clawhauser once jokingly referred to that museum as their “trophy hall”, but she didn’t know they’re keeping things like that. “Honey Jr. comes to mind. I assume they suspected her? I understand why they decided to do so, considering she broke out from prison just a few days ago. They’re just wary of her. But who’s the second suspect?”

“It’s...complicated. There are actually 2 ‘Honey Badger Jrs.’. Elise Purrvell Honey Badger and her sister Madge Purrvell Honey Badger, both of whom have no ‘Junior' in their names. The media just tend to refer to the former as Honey to associate her with her mother, and sometimes put a ‘Junior’ in when also bringing her mother up. We followed suit with that nickname to simplify things up.”

Judy raised an eyebrow. Such long names. “So they also placed Madge as a suspect?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think?”

“I personally think it’s a bit implausible. Madge was under our protection when she was released alongside Lionheart. While we obviously don’t track her movements or breach her privacy, it’s improbable she can sneak out at 1 AM to go to another district without our knowledge. As for Elise, or ‘Honey’, if what i heard about her is correct , then she’d leave a noticeable trail of destruction around. But then again, these are just my assumptions.”

“To be fair, we still actually can’t track Honey now. Days after her breakout and we still have no idea where she went.” Judy dropped the ‘Junior’ off. After all, Honey Sr. was dead, and mammals now refer to the individual as simply ‘Honey’.

“Perhaps we’re just underestimating her. She’s a former Marine NCO. She’s familiar with tactics.”

“Yeah,” Judy said, before deciding to shift the topic away. “Anyway, what do you think of Nick’s graduation?”

“Disappointed.”

“Really?”

“Upsets me that snobby politicians will just never leave us alone. I honestly have little faith for Wilde.”

Judy frowned. “But what about the Night Howler crisis? Nick did very well, and without him we wouldn’t arrest Bellwether!”

“Still, i have no idea how someone like him can work in our force. Give him a month or 2 and he’ll be back to his old ways.”

Judy sighed in frustration, ears laid down and foot quietly thumping the car floor. No use in arguing him. What did he even know about Nick?

Eventually, the car shook as Wolford parked his car. Judy quickly unbuckled herself, pleasantly surprised at the surprisingly fast ride. Time goes fast when you’re talking, huh.

Judy closed the door, setting her feet on the humid ground. Taking a deep breath, she enjoyed the fresh and pleasant smelling air. Judy looked around, scanning her surroundings. The iconic massive tree grooves were a sight she could never get tired of. The large trees made the entire surroundings dark, giving the place a mystical air. Several of those trees have wooden huts built into them, serving as homes for those who live here. These huts were connected with each other with a bridge system, and several of those bridges descended into the ground.

“Hopps?” Wolford’s voice called. Judy looked to see Wolford standing near the doors of a building built into a stone cliff. There were yellow crime scene tapes around, barring unwanted mammals to snoop in. The building was stone gray in color, featuring a few windows in the front. The words ‘National Museum of Criminology and Penology’ were emblazoned on the building. Since this was built on the sides of a cliff, one could imagine this building’s much bigger than how it was seen outside.

Judy walked in, crossing over the police lines. As Wolford and Judy went inside the building, they took in the sights of what’s inside.A long and continuous hall was built inside, decorated with various exhibitions and displays. The lighting was dim, which gave the building an eerie feeling. But the lighting wasn’t dim enough to hide the size of the museum.

The museum appeared to be closed. There was nobody inside, not even reporters. Judy strolled deeper into the museum, bypassing the empty ticket booth. Judy’s eyes slightly widened as she saw an exhibit which caught her eye.

Tidily put behind a thick glass pane, a set of uniforms were displayed. The description told Judy that this was the ‘Dress Uniform of the Chief of the Zootopian Police Department’. The uniform was composed of a black tunic decorated with golden braided cords, 6 golden buttons, and gold rimmed cuffs and high collars, with a pair of dark blue breeches with black outlined golden lampasse. A white baton and ceremonial saber were also displayed. This particular set seemed to be tailored for a medium sized mammal.

Judy stared in awe at the exhibit. She imagined herself wearing this. It did look nice and fancy. Judy shook herself from her imagination. One day, Judy. One day…

As Judy continued her aimless walk, Judy’s powerful ears caught on the sound of footsteps. Finally, a sign of civilization! The source of the footstep finally revealed itself as the footsteps approached her.

A portly looking male sloth bear came in. The sloth bear was dressed in a police uniform. Judy looked at the insignia, which showed that he’s an officer of the local precinct: Precinct 4. Judy read the bear’s name tag, which read ‘Tony Baloo’. Judy remembered a snippet on the ZPD field bestiary, which stated that sloth bears traditionally shared similar surnames: a variation of ‘Bhalu’ or ‘Baloo’, which made administration and legal matters a bit hard for them.

“Ah, there you finally are!” cried Tony as he hobbled forward, before lifting his arm to salute them. “Nice to meet you, Sergeant Wolford, Officer Hopps.” He lowered his arm to offer a pawshake.

Both Judy and Wolford received his pawshake. “Greetings, officer Baloo,” Wolford started. “I am here to supervise your investigation.”

“So i’ve heard.” Tony gave a thin smile.

“Are you the only one here?”

“For now, yes.”

“Let's get to the point. Please take us to the scene.”

"As you wish!" Tony said, inhaling deeply. He turned around, walking further into the museum. Wolford and Judy followed after him. Judy glanced around as she walked, looking at the exhibitions. But Wolford showed no interest.

"Where's everyone? Why are you the only one here? Where are the reporters?" Judy asked Tony, walking forward to match his pace.

"Our precinct is a bit understaffed, but it takes more than a few mammals just to patrol around this district. This morning, a few officers were here with me, but they're reassigned to other duties now. Don't get me wrong, they'll be back soon!" Tony explained. "For the press, you're a little late. Some of them went here earlier today. Since we're considering merging this case together with the Honey case, the horde will probably come when the chief gives his press conference."

Tony then pointed to a pair of doors. "That's the cryogenic exhibition. Where the stolen material is." He walked to the doors, pushing them with his paws. "It's unlocked. Come in!"

Judy and Wolford entered the room, their attention instantly locked on an empty display. Judy quickly walked near the display, taking a look around.

"The perp opened the doors and deactivated the temperature settings without any sign of violence. Perhaps using a keycard." Judy said.

Tony stepped in. "Correct. That's what she ambushed the guard for."

"Ambush?" Judy felt embarrassed not reading the case file.

"Sorry i didn't explain that one. 2 guards involved in the night shift. One of them knocked unconscious by perp, the other not seeing much." Wolford explained in his usual voice.

"Oh. Have you questioned the knocked out guard?" Judy asked.

"Yes. He woke up this morning and only told us that the perp is female. He's still in a state of shock and prefers to be left alone. What little evidence we have does support the claim that the perp is Honey." Tony said.

Suddenly, Wolford got down on all fours and started sniffing some spots on the ground and halls. When he came to a spot, he opened his mouth and licked that spot. Judy gasped in shock upon seeing Wolford's little act, taking a step back.

"I think your friend has a...unique way of finding things out." Tony stated, chuckling.

"I didn't really smell anything. Only a hint of rainwater. How did the perp get in and out anyway?" Wolford asked, standing up.

"I...honestly am not sure. We guesstimated she came from the backdoor, but there's no evidence supporting that."

"Wait! The perp has the keycard right? Can the museum track their employees' keycards in case it goes missing?"

"...Perhaps?" Wolford's face now had a hint of confusion, betraying his usual neutrality.

"Well, that's up for the curator to say. He's unfortunately out of town today, but he's been informed and he'lll join us sooner or later." Tony explained.

"So, about Madge Badger…" Judy said, gazing into the ground.

* * *

_The City Hall, Savannah Central_  
_11:22_

The office buzzed with life. Various mammals in various sizes and shapes were walking around, busy with their own businesses. Countless bureaucrats and politicians in their fancy suits flooded the building, filling the environment with noise.

Standing out among the crowd was a police officer, a barrel chested warthog. A folder held in one hoof, he strolled through the office.

The warthog then came across a door. He knocked, before walking inside.

"Ah, Isaacs. Do you have something for me?" The gruff voice of Chief Bogo said as the warthog closed the door. The Warthog turned around, facing the room.

A long wooden long table sat in the middle of the room, complete with various seats. Bogo sat on the edge, closest to the door. 2 other seats were also occupied by police commissioners, police mammals who led a police precinct.

Isaacs noted that most of the seats were empty. Most commissioners weren't present. Unsurprising, considering the somewhat sudden nature of the meeting. Only 2 attended, an Asiatic black bear and a rhinoceros.

"Yes, sir. I've got 2 messages for you. One of which is an apology from Butterware and the second one is a detailed letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also signed by Lionheart himself." Isaacs explained, handing the documents to Bogo.

"Let me see…" Bogo uttered as he received the documents. He put his reading glasses on as he opened the documents, eyes reading through them quickly.

"The first letter is addressed to us by Butterware. It's a formal apology for the delay in the production of the equipment we purchased." Bogo said. "Their CEO, Erma, is currently suffering from health problems." Bogo shuddered as an image of an old, decrepit, and unpleasant female hyena appeared in Bogo's mind.

Both commissioners nodded as the words flowed from Bogo's mind. Bogo shifted the letter, now reading the second one.

"The second one is more complex. It's a more detailed explanation on their decision regarding Wilde…" Bogo squinted his eyes. "It all boils down to this. Wilde is something...new. The ministry believes that we must try to test the potentials and limits of the first fox officer. ZPD gear, training, and doctrine are geared toward larger mammals, and might not be fully effective. Oh, and it's also Lionheart congratulating me for the 10th anniversary of my tenure, and for my successful reforms in law enforcement. How nice."

"I still don't understand the entire decision. It worked for Hopps, why not for him?" The rhino spoke up, startling Isaacs with his deep bassy voice. His nametag called him Maximus. The commissioner of Sahara Square's Precinct 2.

"Honestly, i'm on board with this one. The decision may be a response for the Mammalian Inclusive Initiative. When the Mammalian Inclusion Initiative was first drafted and when Hopps initially signed up, i initially thought about how unfeasible it would be. The Nighthowler Crisis proved me wrong, and that she's much more than a meter maid." Bogo paused to take a deep breath, looking at Maximus. "However, it's important to note that she often disregards protocols and ZPA once remarked that the training seemed ill fitting for her. Which suggests that some things must be changed to ensure a safe and effective workplace. Hopps is a game changer, sure. But how should we change the game?" Bogo argued.

"But the records from the ZPA are unconvincing. Wilde seems poorly disciplined… They said he was prone to twist things to his own favor. He often pees in jars, as if storing them. Overall, he seems unruly." Maximus explained. "You can take a fox out from his ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out from a fox. I have to question his ability to graduate from the ZPA, and having him graduate with incomplete training is a recipe for disaster! Is this what you want, Bogo?"

"No, but he seems great at de escalating situations, and he's physically remarkable. His connection with various mammals will prove beneficial. He's very impressive in social situations, and that's what i want from an officer."

Maximus' short patience has run thin. "Pah! De escalation this, social that. If anything, your police reforms have just made us into cubsitters of social leeches than honorable officers of the law! Your incompetence has led mammals to _despise_ us!"

Bogo has had enough too, snorting at Maximus. "We are officers of the law indeed. And our job is not to beat mammals into submission!"

Breaking his usual silence, the Asiatic black bear suddenly slammed a fist towards the table, scaring the watching Isaacs. "Enough, gentlemales!" The bear, Kumazawa, said. He was the commissioner of Tundratown's Precinct 3. "Let's not stray too far from our discussion."

Bogo inhaled, shifting on his seat. "Agreed." Bogo paused to take a deep breath. "For my last verdict, i agree on letting Nick graduate early. Most of the training of the last 6 months are physical based training anyway, geared towards larger mammals. No need wasting money and resources over training someone things which may not be of much use for him anyway." 

Maximus sulked in his seat. Kumazawa rested his chin on one paw.

"However, we have to understand that Nick is, for lack of better words, an experiment. He's the very first fox officer, and he opens a whole new door of opportunities for us." Bogo said again, before turning to Isaacs. "Isaacs. Tell Butterware we accept their apology. Respectfully. And tell Lionheart i'm interested."

"Yes sir!" The warthog saluted before hastily making his way out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gamer fox piss water


	3. Badger Baiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolford and Judy take a visit to dear old Madge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity." - Philip K. Dick

_Badger Residence, Meadowlands_   
_12:04_

Madge Badger dropped her body into the couch. She sighed in relief. Finally, after some messy work, she can finally take a breather.

Relax, Madge. They're not gonna take your medical license away.

Madge looked around her. Her living room was a bit messy, but she'd take care of that later. Her eyes settled on the table in front of her. She picked up a claw trimmer, before turning a radio on. Madge settled back on the couch, trimming her claws. Relaxing, her ears picked up the voice of the radio talk host.

"...Now, the industrial revolution and its consequences…" a male voice buzzed out of the radio. "...have led to interesting results upon the animal kingdom."

Madge raised her eyes as she continued to trim her claws. This was one of her favorite radio channels, a talk radio show discussing scientific topics. Looks like they've got something interesting this afternoon.

"I see, Mr. Burke," another male voice said, but this voice seemed younger, speaking in a faster tone of voice. This was none other than the host himself; a voice calling itself Roger. Madge has never seen Roger, but he made a great companion. "I guess domestication is an example of such?"

"Kinda… It's complicated. Let's start from something simple that you'd read in your high school biology textbook. A good example would be the domestication of the dairy cattle. The modern dairy cattle is a result of more than thousands of years of selective breeding, where in agricultural societies, cows working as dairy maids with higher yield of milk production were seen as socially more desirable. With the mechanization of industry, and the population boom and increase in living standards with it, the supply of milk becomes a commercial industry. The process of not so natural selection intensifies, as cows who produce more milk are able to gain better profit, able to afford better living standards, and are able to reproduce. And on and on. The result shows. A modern cow dairy maid can produce around 7900 to 10000 liters of milk during a lactation period, while one of her extant relatives, a water buffalo, can only produce between 1000 to 4500 liters per lactation."

"I see, thanks for the explanation," Roger said. "Mr. Burke, what would you say for those who think that zoological sciences can be specist and needs to be treated with caution?"

Madge's ears perked with interest.

"I...alright. I am not going to deny that in the past, it has encouraged specist pseudoscience, which in turn has encouraged...dangerous ideologies," Burke paused for a while. "But that's what it is. Pseudoscience. They may hold some water at first, but they can get quickly debunked. Within the scientific community, we have one belief which has prevailed and has shown its truth time and time again; life finds a way."

Suddenly, Madge heard some knocking on the front door. Who could that be? Madge turned the radio off, settled the claw trimmer down, and walked downstairs. As she walked to the front door, she took a glance at the window and saw 2 police officers. A rabbit and a wolf. The police were here? What would they want? Madge took a deep breath, before putting her paw at the door knob.

"Good afternoon, dr. Badger. We are Officers Hopps and Wolford from the ZPD, and we're here to have some talk." Judy greeted politely as Madge opened the door.

Madge raised an eyebrow. "...Sure." Madge recognized Judy as the rabbit who was responsible for her arrest, and she saw how the rabbit quoted what she said, almost word per word, at a disastrous press conference. Madge didn't get the flak for it, but it's still embarrassing. Madge didn't consider herself as someone who holds grudges, but this made her a little uncomfortable. What would Judy say to her? Did she hate her?

Madge gestured to a nearby dinner table with a few seats on it. "Take a seat, make yourself comfortable." 

As the three sat together, Judy started to speak. "We're here to talk abou-"

Madge had a good guess. "The break-in at the museum?"

Wolford spoke for the first time. "Exactly. You're placed as a suspect in this case." He seemed neutral as usual, but he showed a hint of discontent as he sat in the undersized chair.

"I insist that I am innocent! There's no reason for me to steal my own mother's head!"

"I agree on your innocence! That decision was made by our precinct in the Rainforest District. We're here to talk about the other suspect, which is your sister. If you can shine some light on her, we might make you a witness instead." Judy said.

"Ah, Elise… When I first saw the news, I immediately knew it's _her!_ I do have a reason why, I think she's up to something."

Judy leaned forward, curious. "What does she want?"

"W-well, this may seem very crazy… Take this with a grain of salt, but I think she's planning to resurrect our mother."

"Wa-wait, what?! You must be joking!" Judy said, shocked. Wolford almost dropped the cookie he secretly grabbed from the dinner table.

"At least that's what i think... Elise talked about that in her diary, so that could be what she wants."

"Is that even possible?" Judy asked.

"...I don't really know. This kind of thing hasn't been tested extensively yet. The practice in itself is ethically very questionable, and nobody's sure on how cryonics can work, if it does work in the first place."

Wolford decided to step in, swallowing the cookie. "You're a psychiatrist, right?" Madge nodded. "Do you exactly know what's up with Honey?"

"...What?"

"I mean, Elise is infamously rageful and violent. What caused that?"

"Oh. Well, there's actually no consensus among us. Nobody has reached a conclusive diagnosis for her yet. Previous attempts of therapy haven't worked."

"Sounds...interesting. I guess I'll read more about Honey later." Judy said. "Is there any way for us to somehow calm her or subdue her? Just any way to ease her rage."

"Well, tranquilizer and mood stabilizer darts for mammals her size fail to puncture her hide. We had to physically knock her out." Wolford stated.

"I suggest that you offer Elise some objects that hold a sentimental value to her," Madge explained. "Nobody has tried to do it when she's angry yet, but she seems very content whenever we get her one of her comfort objects."

"It would be very nice if you have one of these comfort objects." Judy said.

"Oh, i have them! I intend to give them all to you. Follow me." Madge declared. Madge walked away from the table, Judy and Wolford closely behind.

As the group walked upstairs, Judy looked around for a while. Madge lived in a modest two floored house, which Judy regarded as old fashioned in style. There were only a few decorations around, but what little decoration there was managed to captivate Judy. 

Judy saw one painting hung in the wall. A spectacular depiction of a honey badger impi gazing off into the sunset, their spears and shields jutting out from the crowd. Judy also saw the skull of some kind of mammal with sharp teeth displayed on a table. At first glance, Judy recognized that it was only a replica, and guessed that it's got something to do with Madge's medical profession.

Madge entered what Judy assumed to be her bedroom, judging by a bed sadly sitting on the edge of the room. Madge opened a small cabinet, showing off its content.

"Here are some of her belongings that I managed to get my paws on. Here's her personal diary. Here's…" Madge paused for a while, grabbing a stuffed animal. "Here's uh, Ronnie. We used to fight over it during our cubhood, and it fell to her ownership when we parted ways in our teenage years."

_Crash!_

Suddenly, the group heard a loud noise outside. Judy's ears rose up, picking up the noise of something crashing through.

"Oh my…" Madge uttered quietly.

"Do you live alone, doctor?" Wolford asked, his neck stiffly turning towards Madge.

Madge nodded slowly, seemingly scared by the noise. "My husband died years ago. My son lives away from here…"

Wolford snapped his head, looking into where he believed the noise to come from. He loudly sniffed, taking in the smells. His eyes frowned as he inhaled the air, his muzzle formed into a slight scowl.

"Let me handle this." Wolford said, before suddenly running out from the room.

"Wolford! Wait!" Judy started to take off after Wolford, before briefly glancing back at Madge. "Just stay here."

After Judy ran out from the room, she saw a very interesting sight. Wolford stood in the middle of the house. His body was standing still, his gaze fixated on what's standing before him.

Before Wolford, stood the unmistakable figure of Elise, or more frequently known as Honey Badger herself.

The honey badger looked similar to Madge, but slightly older and noticeably way more muscular. She was clad in an orange prison shirt, which seemed tattered and dirty. Judy noticed that there seemed to be pieces of seaweed stuck on her fur and clothing. Honey also wore an unbuttoned green field jacket and camo green trousers. On her thick legs was a pair of worn down black jackboots. What really stuck with Judy was the shock collar on Honey's neck. A part of the collar was broken, explaining how she couldn't get tracked. But the collar was still active.

"I know you…" Honey said, yellow eyes staring strongly at Wolford. Her voice was shockingly posh, speaking with an Albionic accent. "You're Bogo's little puppy. I know you're the son of Bal-"

"Don't say his name." Wolford interrupted, a hint of anger present in his deep voice.

Honey turned her head, looking at Judy. Honey smiled wide, showing her sharp but filthy teeth. "Oh my oh my! The darling of the ZPD, innit?! Has anybody told you that you're...cute?!"

This really set Judy off. "Alright, let's cut it with the pleasantries! You're under arrest! Do not resist and-"

Honey snarled at Judy, spittle flying from her mouth. "You cut it with the pleasantries, you daft bobbies! I'm just here to take what is rightfully mine, and you can't stop me!"

Wolford's face contorted for a while, deeply in thought, before his face lit up as he reached a satisfying conclusion. "Hopps! She's trying to take the diary away! Secure it and call for backup! I'll take care of her!"

"Not so fast!" Honey growled as Judy ran up the stairs. Honey tried to leap after her, but she was interrupted by Wolford, who lurched his paw forward to punch Honey.

Judy didn't look back, sprinting up the stairs. Wolford tried to tackle Honey, using his body weight as an advantage. As he tried to pin her down, Wolford noticed 2 things.

The first was that Honey smelled. Badly. Wolford deduced that it must've been the natural odor of a honey badger, since he also smelled the smell in Madge, but only very faintly. This pungent smell reminded Wolford of sulfur. Honey badger musk wasn't as potent as a wolverine's, but Honey's specific body odor was exacerbated by poor hygiene.

The second thing, Honey was very...flexible. Wolford was unable to secure a proper hold on Honey. As Honey squirmed, Wolford noticed that her skin felt really loose. The thick, rubbery skin was also uncomfortable to hold.

Wolford looked up for a while. He saw Judy running down the stairs. Without even a glance at Wolford, she ran out from the house. She was holding the diary, and ran away to find the police cruiser.

Distracted by Judy, Honey seized the opportunity and decked Wolford right in his muzzle.

**POW!**

Wolford growled, reeling back. Loosening his grip, Honey managed to squirm out from Wolford's grip. Taking his chance, Wolford threw his fist forward, giving Honey a quick uppercut.

Wolford's fist violently threw Honey into the floor, her body crashing down with a thud. Honey quickly recovered, standing up and running. Wolford ran after her, seeing Honey leave from the backyard door. Honey was surprisingly quick. But Wolford almost caught up to her. However, as soon as Wolford was about to snatch Honey away, Honey suddenly leapt away over a tall fence.

Wolford looked down from the fence, and saw a large ditch with flowing river. Wolford gnashed his sharp teeth, furrowing his eyebrows. Honey may win this time…

Behind Wolford, Judy ran up to him. "Where's Honey?" Judy asked, before glancing down at what Wolford was looking at. "Oh…" Judy said, connecting the dots together.

Madge carefully stumbled into the backyard, a scared expression plastered on her face. She looked at Wolford, as if demanding an explanation. Wolford just quietly mumbled something.

"We'll see her again… Soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aww hell naw the bri'ish badger took   
> took40 benadryls
> 
> /uj No, before you ask, there are no domestic dogs nor cats. They're practically mythical creatures. But ithere's a bit more to them later.
> 
> Also, i think it's a bit important to clarify that this isn't a WildeHopps story. I have nothing against the ship, i just think it's overdone. I wanna do something new, a break from the mainstream. Don't worry, i won't pull a Borba. If you're interested in what i have to offer for them, tune in to the story!
> 
> If you're confused: the characters (and i) will refer to Elise as Honey. But Madge will refer to her as Elise. And i'd do so too, if Honey Sr. is being discussed. Honey Sr. is a character from the Wilde Times audio drama, where she is simply referred to as Honey Badger for obvious reasons. Next week, the second episode of Wilde Times will be posted! Honey hasn't appeared yet, but tune in to the series if you want to see her in action!


	4. Scheming, Streaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy and Wolford give the news to Bogo, who apparently has some other news to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt...and Judith L. Hopps

_Precinct 1, Savannah Central_   
_20:48_

"Rise, sergeant," Bogo said, looking down. "There's no need for theatrics." He looked unimpressed. This was far from necessary.

Wolford was kneeling in front of Bogo, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. Slowly, he stood up. Judy stood behind Wolford, crossing her arms.

"And stop staring at me with those eyes." Bogo said to a now standing Wolford. Wolford closed his eyes for a few seconds, before opening them back and revealing his usual eyes. For a while, Judy could see what appeared to be eyeshadow in Wolford's eyes as she got a closer look at his eyelids. Or maybe they’re just bags.

Whatever the case, Judy learnt what Fangmeyer meant when they said Wolford had an affinity for dramatics. Wolford was usually this awkward, somewhat intimidating guy who mostly kept to himself. But when the situation demanded, Wolford could act like this, made even more awkward with his awkwardly stiff mannerisms.

Wolford spoke up. "I'd still like to apologize for-"

"No need to apologize, sergeant," Bogo quickly interrupted. "As a matter of fact, your efforts have led us closer to bring Honey to justice. No need to worry. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Both Wolford and Judy chimed.

"Good. Wolford, Hopps, you are dismissed."

Bogo looked as both of them left his office. Finally on his own, Bogo sat down on his desk. He grabbed a self heating convenience meal of noodles, before pouring water into the set. He set it aside, waiting for the meal to cook.

It's a meal unbefitting for a police chief. Especially when his wife could cook him something much more honorable. But he's been very busy for days, and he made sure to snatch something up in a corner store. 

The door knocked, before a warthog entered the room. "Goodnight chief."

"Ah, Isaacs. Anything new?"

"Yes sir. Lionheart has sent a reply."

"That was quick."

Isaacs walked forward. He rifled through his bag, before putting a letter on Bogo's desk.

"Take a seat, Isaacs."

Isaacs immediately started to look nervous. He took a deep breath, putting his hands into his pockets.

Bogo chuckled. "No, you're not in trouble. Would you like to eat?"

"No thanks." Isaacs pulled a chair, before seating himself.

"Make yourself comfortable." Bogo uttered as he opened the meal, steam erupting from the set. He inserted the prepackaged spork, digging into the noodles. Bogo opened the letter, before putting his glasses on to read it.

The content was...interesting, to say the least. It's not some automated wishwash response, but rather written by Lionheart personally. Bogo didn't see Lionheart much often, but he grew a bit familiar with his style and manner.

The letter was short but to the point. Lionheart thanked him for his openness, and stated his wishes for Wilde. He declared that Wilde was a step forward in the right direction for his inclusion initiative. Wilde could bring a friendly and familiar face towards the...marginalized communities and present a progressive step in law enforcement, Lionheart wrote.

Bogo finally agreed on something that Lionheart wrote. 

Bogo had some hopes for Lionheart when he first ran, and initially supported him. A mayor with progressive ideals who might finally see merit in Bogo's reforms. But he found himself often clashing heads with Lionheart. 

Bogo started seeing Lionheart as this… rich spoiled cub. Bogo saw himself as a realist, not overly pragmatic neither too idealist. But he found Lionheart to be overly idealistic. He often proudly announced new programs and plans for this and that, without actually knowing what he's doing. The scandal at Cliffside was an example of Lionheart taking things into his own paws without understanding what the fuck he was actually doing or what the consequences to his actions were.

Of course, Lionheart was no Miao Zedong and hasn't pulled an idiotic Great Leap Forward...yet. But Bogo understood that Lionheart's capacity to make ridiculous plans was not to be underestimated. To Bogo, Lionheart was the archetypal city hall politician snob who is overly naïve and out of touch with the actual conditions, despite grand claims of progress and change. Bogo, with decades of field experience, could only facehoof.

Again, Lionheart was like a spoiled rich cub who asked his parents for a dinosaur and they got him a fancy ostrich because that's all they could get. Lionheart would often just throw money to a government agency or company to fund his big projects. And Bogo found the interior minister to be reasonable and negotiable on Lionheart's grand plans for public security. But then the inclusion initiative came, and Lionheart himself came directly to Bogo to make a more inclusive workspace.

Bogo has heard rumors that Lionheart would get unpleasant if he didn't get his way. So he could just nod to whatever he said to not jeopardize his position and his efforts within the ZPD. Bellwether claimed that Lionheart could get distressing to work with. It may just be her prejudice speaking, but Bogo wasn't surprised if that's true.

And there's also the question of how Lionheart got his massive wealth. What gave him his lavish lifestyle? No way he's paying taxes for this shit…

Bogo's train of thought was interrupted as he’s paying taxes for that shit…

Also, Bogo could never forget how quick they pardoned him after serving a bit of time in prison. He may not be guilty for the night howler crisis, but he still raised red flags. Something could’ve happened behind the scenes. And those wolves. Who exactly were they? They’re also pardoned. Could they come from…. No, it couldn’t be...

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of glass clinking. Bogo looked up from the meal he’s eating, breaking away from the instant noodle stupor. Isaacs sat wide eyed and open mouthed, shoving a bottle of Johnnie Trotter whiskey into his bag.

Caught red handed, Isaacs stuttered under Bogo’s judgemental gaze. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Bogo laughed at a confused Isaacs.

“You can take it if you want! That’s a gift, but i don’t really need it anyway.” Bogo thought it’s a bit sad that he’s eating instant noodles for dinner while also being given an expensive scotch whiskey. He’s trying to quit drinking anyway, not that he didn’t appreciate the gift.

Isaacs quietly shuffled the bottle into his bag, before coughing. Perhaps it wouldn’t look awkward at all. “Also sir, I brought the ZPA reports as you asked.” He pulled out a dossier from his bag.

Bogo pulled the dossier closer, before wiping his mouth clean. He already finished his meal. Bogo kept a close eye on Nick’s development. He remembered when he first read Nick’s medical analysis. He had a very mild case of (thankfully now cured) fungal infection brought by a mild infestation of black mold in his apartment, which Nick claimed has been cleared out now. The academic analysis was discouraging. Apparently Wilde wasn't proficient over anything beyond basic Maths. One instructor even scolded him as barely literate, frustrated over his poor handwriting.

Just with these few reports, Bogo’s interest was caught by Nick’s eccentricity. But there was a tinge of uncertainty… Similar to back when he first read about Judy.

Hopps was the top of her class, and she performed impressively even if the odds were favored towards larger mammals. There's no reason for Bogo to doubt her, yet he dismissed her since she was a rabbit. It’s the similar kind of uncertainty that made him send her as a meter maid. 

Pah, enough with the casual specism! No way he’d send Wilde to rot in Happytown. But still, there’s a deep seated feeling of...concern. That’s why he rarely gave Hopps the larger cases, with a few strategic exceptions like the recent case at the museum. As much as Bogo wished to see them in an optimistic light, the realist side of Bogo was concerned that one day he had to tell their families that their kit died a hero.

Bogo opened the dossier, adjusting his glasses. His eyebrows furrowed as he read the dossier. Some instructors had a more positive view, saying Wilde had great potential and was a colorful individual. Others, not so much. One even saying that Wilde was a feral kit without any sense of decency.

Bogo sighed as he settled the dossier down. It would be a long way from here….

But back to what he was thinking. Perhaps there’s something to be done. Perhaps he could do...something, anything, really. Perhaps he could teach Lionheart a lesson or two.

No. Not now. Not yet. Not until _he_ has graduated. Not until _she_ was also ready.

Bogo smiled a little. There’s a lot to be done. “Isaacs.”

“Y-yes sir?” Isaacs shuffled in his seat. Bogo’s starting to creep him out.

“I have a task for you.”

* * *

_The City Hall, Savannah Central_   
_20;53_

“Well, we’re very sorry, sir.” A chubby looking coyote uttered, standing before Lionheart. Dressed in his dark yellow uniform, the coyote was a representative from the Prison Service. A nametag was pinned into his tunic, bearing his name of Howland.

“Halt, warden. If you want to apologize, don’t apologize to me. Apologize to the people of Zootopia. You owe them an apology and explanation when the press conference rolls by.” Lionheart said, sitting in his office.

"Uh, our staff were just too lax on that night sir. I can assure you-"

"I don't need to hear any more excuses, warden. Understood? I've had enough hearing about how a schizo maniac in her 50s was able to scurry away from a top security facility miles away from the mainland. Just tighten your security and test your staff's competence, alright? The ZPD will catch her, I'm sure of that."

"Yes sir." Howland said, turning away to walk off. Howland was about to get out of the room, before Lionheart interrupted with a "Wait!", causing Howland to look at Lionheart.

"Say hello to Bellwether for me, alright?" Lionheart asked. Howland paused, before nodding. Howland didn't hesitate to leave the room.

Lionheart sighed after Howland closed the door after him, awkwardly slumping in his seat. He couldn't let someone else look at him like this. He had an appearance to maintain.

Especially with the public's prying, curious eyes.

Lionheart sat there in deafening silence. He has long realized that being a mayor was no easy task. Lionheart considered himself intelligent and clever. After all, how could a mammal like that not be deserving of such a title? But then he realized that, despite all efforts and mind numbing bureaucracy, everything could seem futile if you're a mayor.

And that he's sitting on a throne of lies.

Lionheart felt like a disappointment. Zootopia was divided, and Bellwether ruined everything. Lionheart felt guilty. Guilty that in spite of all his efforts in the name of the greater good, he couldn't prevent Bellwether's plot. From the depths of his heart, there echoed the sentiment of hopelessness. It seemed like he couldn't fix anything.

Lionheart frowned, his eyes furrowing. It all seemed so quick. Now, things weren't looking too good for him. The public didn't really trust him. The debacle at Cliffside was a huge embarrassment. People claimed that it's a shady endeavor unbefitting for a mayor. 

And Lionheart understood. Lionheart understood it all.

But all of that, the planning, the execution, was for the greater good. He thought he was clever. However, when he turned out to be only some pawn on Bellwether's game plan…

It's painfully embarrassing. 

Lionheart glanced at the wall of his office, decorated with lines of paintings. Portraits of Zootopia's mayors. Lionheart's predecessors, all there. From Montapew to Swinton. Lionheart's eyes landed on a specific portrait.

It's the first portrait of the bunch. An antique, painted, portrait of a male skunk in his late 30s, dressed in full regalia. His name was etched on the bottom of the portrait, one Edouard W. Stinkel.

No, it was **the** Edouard W. Stinkel. Zootopia's father of the nation, the first mayor. He laid the foundation in which this great nation was built. And he could feel the eyes of the portrait staring down at him, glaring in pure disappointment.

Lionheart frowned even deeper, his eyes aimlessly wandering around as he lost his staring contest with the portrait.

He needed to amend things somewhat with his people. His popularity’s sinking, and he needed to act. Fast.

The first thing crossing his mind was a way to prevent another Bellwether. He needed to beef up law enforcement. Lionheart could already foresee unrest soon, and he needed mammals to reliably restore order. But there was one mammal blocking his progress with the ZPD…

One buffalo, to be exact.

Bogo may be one of the more reform minded chiefs, but he was still stubborn. Maybe in the end, he didn’t need a reform minded chief. Maybe he just needed a chief that he can buy…

But he couldn’t just fire Bogo outright. Bogo was fairly popular among his peers, and to outright fire him on the spot would be a mistake. He couldn’t afford to lose more popularity. He needed to make it look justified.

Lionheart smiled, looking down at his membership card of his party, the All-Zootopia Liberty League. The party of Stinkel himself. It would be a shame if his successors were afraid to take risks in the name of the greater good, no?

Lionheart’s large paw went into the phone, He dialed a number, before putting the phone near his ear.

“Ah, goodnight citoyen.” Lionheart greeted. 

Citoyen, meaning citizen, was a term used by the members of Lionheart's party. It was something originally used by Purreesian revolutionaries, later used by Stinkel and his followers. It's merely a gesture of formality which not many did actually use. But then again, Lionheart had an appearance to keep.

"Goodnight Mr. Mayor," A raspy male voice answered. "How may i help you?"

"Contact the police academy. I have a reservation to make."

* * *

_Zootopia Police Academy_   
_21:36_

Wilde sat alone in his dormitory. He sat back on his bed, eyes closed, arms resting behind his head, and muzzle locked in a slight smile. Very relaxed, his ears were fitted with a pair of earphones connected to his phone. A small melody resonated into his ears.

_“Oh, I bid farewell to the port and the land  
And I paddle away from Brave Foxden's white sands  
To search for my long ago forgotten friends  
To search for the place I hear all sailors end”_

Sea shanties were too cheesy for a lot of mammals’ taste. Nick understood that. Nick even saw them as cheesy himself. Nick considered himself a mammal of wide tastes, and there’s a lot of music genres which he considered favorable to his (admittedly somewhat unusual) music standards.

But this music… It reminded him of home. It reminded him of the crowded fish markets, the watered down beer, the musty old pubs, and all the tiny little bits and bobs that made up Happytown. For all its flaws, Happytown sure inflicted a feeling of homesickness within Nick.

This aroused a thought within him. How would his...people see him when they see him as an officer of the law? He’s very happy that he’s now a contributing member of society, but there's a thought haunting him: Would society be ready for a fox officer? It’s clear that a lot of mammals back home didn’t trust the police. Hell, even Nick himself found the authority to be distrustful at times.

But Nick also understood: He’s not doing this for himself nor for Judy. This was for the greater good. His community, the humble people of Happytown and other shantytowns, needed mammals like him. They needed an officer they could trust.

Nick swallowed his saliva. This was it. He shall proudly wear the badge, and make history. All for the greater good.

The time has come when Nick decided to stop waiting for things to change and become the change he wanted to see in society.

The door swung open, and a cougar in his mid 20s walked in. “Thank the heavens, Wilde!” The cougar shouted happily, closing the door after him. “They didn’t smoke my ass!”

“Then they haven’t found our stash yet,” Nick said, pausing the music. “What are they calling you for?”

“Come closer, you might be interested in what i was told.” The cougar hopped into bed, gesturing for Nick to come closer. Nick set his phone down, sitting close to the cougar.

“You remember when they just straight up told you you're graduating next week?" The cougar asked, which received a nod from Nick. "They told me they're considering doing the same for me after an appeal from the top."

"You're joking."

"You know I make better jokes than this."

"Can't argue with that, kitty. But why would they do that?"

"I dunno. They just said that some government fella sent an appeal for me to graduate next week, and they're considering it. Probably to not make you feel lonely at the graduation."

"If that's the case, then the government isn't so emotionless after all!" Nick chuckled. He considered the cougar to be a close friend of his after only 6 months of academy, developing a bit of friendly rivalry between them. Nick saw himself as a mammal versatile in all forms of social interactions, and he knew he could trust this guy the moment his green eyes first landed on him. "But for real, I smell something fishy behind this. They probably-"

"Ah, who cares?! For now, i'm just very happy that this academy hell can be over within a week! And then we'll proudly wear the badge as officers of the law!"

Hey, maybe things weren't so bad after all. Nick was naturally cynical, always suspicious of other mammals' behavior and motivations. But maybe for this time he shouldn't let his biases cloud his judgement. Time to try on a little bit of this optimism thing.

Nick's ever present smug smile metamorphosed into a smug grin. "That i can agree on, Catmull!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Mr. Mayor, the Among Us musical will start in 40 minutes."   
> ...Yeah, i deleted (what was initially) chapter 2. That was for plot reasons, so here's the canon debut for Nick lol. Yes, Nick's grandpa stays dead. Yes, i am scrubbing the death count. So we're back to zero.


End file.
